"We think it would have been better if they had kept ours. But what do I know?" Schmidt told a small group of reporters in Tokyo. "What were we going to do, force them not to change their mind? It's their call."

Schmidt said Google and Apple were in constant communication "at all kinds of levels." But he said any decision on whether Google Maps would be accepted as an application in the Apple App Store would have to be made by Apple.

"We have not done anything yet," he said.

Despite the rising popularity of journalistically slating Apple's Maps, I've actually had a fairly positive experience with them. Just this afternoon, I used Maps to navigate my way across town for some errands. The turn-by-turn directions were perfect.

As I wrote yesterday, I tend to think the rampant negativity surrounding Apple Maps is premature. Perhaps the product is lacking in some respects, but it is a fundamentally necessary — and audacious — journey for Apple to embark upon. I'm willing to forgive some initial teething issues in exchange for a large return in the very near future, which I'm sure Apple will deliver.

Although I'd certainly be interested to see Google Maps arrive in the App Store, I'm far more interested in what Apple might improve in its own offering in the coming months.